Rolling door operating mechanism



Nov. 7, 1961 R. WARDLAW 3,007,342

ROLLING DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed April 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1F/6 2 33 -I 1 6' c3 3| 2 2 38 I INVENTOR.

RUSSELL MRDLAW AT TORNEKS Nov. 7, 1961 R. WARDLAW 3,007,342

ROLLING DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed April 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2JNVENTOR. RUSSELL WARDLAW A T TORNEVS d/ f v States This inventionrelates to operating mechanisms for rolling doors and particularly tothe mechanism for raising and lowering the door.

Such doors consist of an articulated curtain which is adapted to beraised and lowered to open or close an aperture or doorway. The curtainis rolled about or unrolled from a barrel mechanism which is rotatablymounted adjacent the upper top edge of the opening. As the barrel isrotated, the curtain is payed ofi from it to close the door or rolledaround it to open the door.

The barrel may be rotated manually or by means of some mechanical devicesuch as, for example, an electric motor and suitable gearing. Acombination of the two may be utilized. The simplest form, however, isthe manual means which customarily comprises a chain mounted upon asprocket which is secured to the barrel. The chain hangs down from thesprocket to a position adjacent the side of the opening where it may beoperated by an individual. The curtain is payed off from or around aboutthe barrel in response to the direction of pull exerted upon the chain.The sprocket and barrel may be locked against rotation by locking thechain in a predetermined position.

Various gear mechanisms have been provided to permit easy operation andactuation of the door. These have usually been bulky and reasonablyexpensive to manufacture and install.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simplified gearingassembly which occupies a very small area and which is easy tomanufacture, assemble and service.

it is a further object of this invention to provide a gear reducingmechanism which serves to lock the barrel against rotation which may becaused by the weight of the curtain.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a gear mechanismwhich incorporates a safety mechanism, that is, one in which a fusiblelink may be incorporated to permit the curtain to drop by its own weightupon fusing of the link.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from thefollowing specification taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end view, with a portion of a guard removed, of a gearassembly showing the chain operator therefor.

FIGURE 2 is a view through the line 22 of FIGURE 3 showing the gearassembly in cross-section.

FIGURE 3 is a section of the door operator taken along the line "33 ofFIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a modification of theapparatus disclosed in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3.

As illustrated in FIGURES l and 3, the entire rolling door operatingassembly is adapted to be supported by a plate which is provided withflange 11 and which is adapted to be secured to wall 12 by means ofbolts 13.

The curtain and barrel assembly 16 are supported upon a shaft 17 whichis rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing 18 carried by the plate 10.Shaft 17 not only serves to support the curtain and drum assembly 16 butis keyed thereto so that rotation of the shaft 17 controls raising andlowering of the curtain, which is adapted to be operated by the gearassembly illustrated most completely in FIG- URES 2 and 3.

The gear assembly mechanism which actuates the shaft 17 is basically anaxial system using a common axis for area: 0 T

3,007,342 Patented NOV- 1961 the input and output about which the systemrotates. More specifically the gear train consists of an internal ringgear 21 which, in this instance, is provided with sixty teeth, althoughit is to be clearly understood that any suitable number of teeth may beprovided on the ring gear 21. The ring gear 21 is coaxial with the shaft17 and is secured thereto by a key 22 whereby rotation of the gear 21causes similar rotation of the shaft 17. The hub 23 of the gear 21supports a bearing 24 upon which a sprocket 26 is rotatably mounted. Theexterior of the hub 23 and the bearing 24- are coaxial with respect tothe shaft 17 as is the sprocket 26. Sprocket 26 is provided with teeth27 which are adapted to be engaged by a chain 28.

Sprocket 26 is provided with a hub 29 which is eccentric with respect tothe axis of the shaft 17 and hub 23. Hub 29 supports bearing 31 uponwhich a pinion gear 32 is mounted. The pinion gear 32 in this instanceis provided with 52 teeth, although here again, it is to be understoodthat it may be provided with any suitable number of teeth less than thenumber of teeth found in the ring gear 21. Some of the teeth of thepinion gear 32 are always meshed with some of the teeth of the ring gear21. Rotation of the pinion gear 32 is prevented by a lever or link 33which is secured thereto in any suitable manner such as the rivets Nshown. This link is provided with an open ended elongated slot 34 whichcooperates with a bolt 36 which threadedly engages the plate 10. Link 33is free to reciprocate along its major axis within the limits defined bythe slot 34 and the pin 36. Thus, the pinion gear 32 does not rotate butoperates eccentrically and its axis rotates about the axis of the shaft17. The eccentricity of the pinion gear 32 serves to rotate the ringgear 21.

Suitable shroudings 37 and 38 are provided so that the gear assembly isreasonably well concealed.

Operation of the device may briefly be described as follows:

The chain 28 is actuated in such a manner that the sprocket 26 isrotated about the axis of the shaft 17. The rotation of the sprocket 26imparts eccentric motion to the pinion gear 32. Rotation of the piniongear 32 is prevented by the link 33 which engages and is adapted toreciprocate with respect to the pin 36. The eccentric movement of thegear 32 causes its teeth to engage teeth on the ring gear 21 and rotatethe ring gear about its axis. As has previously been pointed out,rotation of the gear 21 imparts like rotary motion to the shaft 17 andto the curtain and barrel assembly 16.

This construction provides irreversibility and prevents feed back in thesame manner as worm gearing or a nut and screw system.

The input to the system may be said to be through rotation of theeccentric hub 29 which causes the pinion gear to scan the ring gear.Since the pinion cannot rotate because of the restraining link 33, thering gear will be rotated the difference between the numbers of teeth ofthe ring and the pinion gears. For example, the ratio of the system canbe expressed for this specific arrangement as:

(60-52 Input through the shaft 17, which may be by virtue of the weightof the curtain and barrel assembly 16 will not be transmitted intorotary motion of the shaft 17.

a In other words, the eflect of the action of the link 33 which preventsrotation of the pinion gear 32, is to lock the gears 32 and 21 againstrotation caused by input through the shaft 17. Thus I have a locking andsafety feature which permits the elimination of a locking mechanismwhich ordinarily must be applied to the chain 28 in ordinary gear trainassemblies used for this purpose.

It will be apparent that should the link 33 no longer 3 be restrained bybolt 36 it would be free to rotate and, in this event, power put intothe system through the shaft 17 would result in free rotation of theassembly. I propose to take advantage of this phenomenon by providing afusible member 41 which supports the pin 36 and this modification isillustrated in FIGURE 4 Where the fusible link 41 serves to support aweighted arm 42 which is pivotally mounted at 43 on the plate and whichon its remote end is provided with a pin 36a. While the fusible link 41remains unfused as indicated, pin 36a is maintained in the slot 34 inthe link 33. However, when the fusible link 41 is parted as, forexample, by its fusing under heat, the weighted arm 42 swings downwardlyagainst a stop 44 (as indicated) and the pin 36a is freed from the slot34. In this way, the restraining elfect of the link 33 is eliminated andthe gear 32 is free to rotate under the influence of the gear 21. Thus,the weight of the curtain and drum assembly which is put into the systemthrough the shaft 17 will cause rotation of both the gears 21 and 32.The path which the link 33 will follow must of course be clear fromother obstructions so that it may rotate freely. When this gear driveassembly is utilized in connection with a fire door, I have an automaticdoor lowering system. When the heat of a fire fuses the link 41, theweight of the curtain and door assembly 16 will cause the door to closeautomatically.

I claim:

1. In a rolling door operating mechanism for raising and lowering arolling door of the type which includes a rotatable axle, a barrel fixedto the axle and a curtain adapted to be rolled onto the barrel, theoperating mechanism comprising an internal ring gear adapted to be fixedto the axle, a sprocket and operating means for rotating the sprocket,the sprocket having an eccentric hub, a pinion gear mounted on the hubto permit rotation of the hub with respect to the pinion gear, saidpinion gear engaging said ring gear and serving to rotate the ring gearabout its axis as the pinion gear is gyrated, means for locking thepinion gear against rotation in either direction and means for unlockingthe locking means so that said pinion gear is free to rotate.

2. A rolling door operating mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said meansfor unlocking the pinion gear includes a fusible member and meanssecured to said fusible member to render the locking means inoperativeupon fusing of the fusible member.

3. A rolling door operating mechanism as in claim 1 wherein saidsprocket is adapted to be rotatably mounted on said axle.

4. In a rolling door operating mechanism for raising and lowering arolling door of the type which includes a rotatable axle, a barrel fixedto the axle and a curtain adapted to be rolled onto the barrel, theoperating mechanism comprising an internal ring gear adapted to be fixedto the axle, the ring gear having a hub, a sprocket rotatably mounted onthe hub of the ring gear, an endless chain mounted on the sprocket sothat the sprocket can be rotated by hand, the sprocket having aneccentric hub, a pinion gear mounted on the hub to permit rotation ofthe hub relative to the pinion gear, said pinion gear engaging said ringgear and serving to rotate the ring gear about its axis as the piniongear is gyrated means locking the pinion gear against rotation in eitherdirection, and means to inactivate said locking means whereby saidpinion gear may become free to gyrate.

5. A rolling door operating mechanism as in claim 4 wherein said lockingmeans includes a lever arm fixed to said pinion gear, the lever armhaving a slot therein remote from the end fixed to the pinion gear, anda pin disposed in said slot.

6. A rolling door operating mechanism as in claim 5 wherein unlockingthe slot in said lever arm is open ended together with means forautomatically moving said pin out of said slot to permit rotation ofsaid lever arm.

7. In a rolling door operating mechanism for raising and lowering arolling door of the type which includes a rotatable axle, a barrel fixedto the axle and a curtain adapted to be rolled onto the barrel, theoperating mechanism comprising an internal ring gear adapted to be fixedto the axle, the ring gear having a hub, a sprocket rotatably mounted onthe hub of the ring gear, an endless chain mounted on the sprocket sothat the sprocket can be rotated by hand, the sprocket having aneccentric hub, a pinion gear mounted on the hub to permit rotation ofthe hub relative to the pinion gear, said pinion gear engaging said ringgear and rotating the ring gear as the pinion gear is gyrated and meanslocking the pinion gear against gyration in either direction, saidlocking means including a lever arm fixed to said pinion gear, saidlever arm having a slot therein remote from the end fixed to said piniongear and a pin disposed in said slot, said slot in said lever arm beingopen ended and means for automatically moving said pin out of said slotto permit rotation of said lever arm, said last named means including afusible link so that when the fusible link is fused, said pin isautomatically removed from the open ended slot to permit rotation of thelever arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS763,381 Ebner June 28, 1904 1,215,614 Brown Feb. 13, 1917 1,942,794Benson Jan. 9, 1934 1,942,796 Benson J an. 9, 1934 2,208,039 Mills July16, 1940 2,313,132 Elliott Mar. 9, 1943 2,564,208 Michelman Aug. 14,1951 2,604,790 Derby et al July 29, 1952 2,667,076 Favre I an. 26, 1954FOREIGN PATENTS 973,323 France Feb. 9, 1951 2,163 Great Britain Ian. 30,1908

